Sunday Night Baseball

James Loney just drew a walk to load the bases in the first inning…

It was hard to believe, but researching the notes for today, it dawned on me that James has basically carried the offense for the past six weeks. The Dodgers were six games under .500 on April 29 and have gone 30-16 since then, for a .652 winning percentage.

During that time, Loney leads the team in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, batting average, doubles, homers and RBI…and his 38 RBI are twice as many as the next-highest total (DeWitt’s 19). That’s crazy. Meanwhile, during that same period, Broxton, Kuo and Weaver are a combined 7-0 with a 1.44 ERA. Pretty impressive.

Anyway, here’s hoping we can get out of town with a victory tonight. For those who follow the team on Twitter @dodgertownusa, we posted some random photos from around town today, as I wandered along the Freedom Trail in Boston, a very nice stroll throughout town. Dodger fans, as expected, were everywhere.

On a much less important note, I’ll pose the same question I did last week. Name one Dodger player in his prime? This club continues to flail because Frank and Ned build a team with cheap youngsters and cheap PVLs. Kuo may be the closest to being in his prime…but he’s always one pitch away from ending his career. Watching this team fall short against the Angels of Anaheim, Orange County, California and the Red Sox reminds us all that the Dodgers are very far away from a championship-caliber ball club.

Pathetic.
Check out these batting averages for the three Fenway games:
Ethier and Carroll: .000
Martin, Loney, Blake: 091
Kemp: .154
DeWitt, Belliard: .333
Manny: .417
Anderson: .500
And looking at BOTH the Red Sox series and Angels series, check out these three middle of the order hitters:
Ethier: 0-22
Blake: 1-17
Kemp: 2-22
And that’s not even addressing the pitching. Short of Kuroda, who showed up in those six games? I know it’s easy to be critical right now, but jeepers!!!!!!!!!

I am trying my best to not pay attention to the standings until August/September (as recommended by Dodgereric). It’s a great feeling to be in first, but it certainly isn’t the end of the world if we aren’t right now either. Even the Diamondbacks, who seem to be so far out right now, really aren’t out of anything at the moment. The Rockies have done pretty incredible things in August/September, and I would expect them to try and do the same thing this season. So, why can’t we? Once this interleague crap is out of the way, then we can buckle down and start taking care of our division one team at a time. I am not saying this isn’t frustrating. It certainly is, but Oldbrooklynfan seems to be taking it well, so why shouldn’t I?

I would also like to send my very best to Raffy and his family. My sincere condolences on their loss.

On a personal note………..My son’s baseball team (VSA Eagles) won their 2nd tournament of the summer. He pitched a complete game with 13 K’s, he batted 3 for 4 today, and they won in Dodger walk-off style in the bottom of the 9th, 4-5. Well, his highschool team won their local tournament during the week too, but that team is nothing compared to this one, nor is the competition.

Also…….Dodgereric – glad your guy won today as our NASCAR buddy from my school, Andres, was there to see it today. He was one happy Jimmie fan according to his mom. I didn’t see any of the race, but from reading, it looked like a great one!!

This game was more frustrating seeing as the guys could no NOTHING! NADA! We are all very frustrated walking back to the hotel. I am here in the lobby next to Dodger fans checking in for the early flight tomorrow night and they are just as frustrated as the rest of us.
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Unacceptable! We want better performance when the team gets back!!
Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

What was up with the Dodgers? Very poor performance. We are now #3….I can not believe this. So is Frank happy his team swept us? Torre comes from coaching American Leagues and yet we can’t beat the American Leagues. We are just being swept around by the American Leagues and the Padres will come and just put in a dust pan and throw us down the garbage can.
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Boston have difficult the stadium to play in. Well if you are a visitor. Each time the ball was being hit to the outfield and it start hitting those walls. Balls are just bouncing around like a ping pong game. I felt like you needed a Geometry degree and to be a professional pool player to figure which way the ball was going to bounce.
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Next the Angels (Again) then the Yankees….can it get any tougher? Wow I hope the Dodgers regroup and get their crap together. Rest today and tomorrow it will be another day, another game and I hope the Dodgers packed their damn broom, cause we need to start sweeping.

Last years team and this years team are TOTALLY DIFFERENT TEAMS! I just feel that they have sooo much distraction they can’t even concentrate on the game. They need to start working as a team again. It might be phases a team goes through.
LET’S GO DODGERS!

First, let’s stop making excuses or crying about who the Dodgers have to play in interleague player versus who any other team has to play. The Dodgers have had problems with interleague play right from the start. If the team is good enough to win, it will win. If the team plays good baseball more often than not, it will win more games, no matter the opponent. To win a championship the Dodgers will have to beat the best of whatever opponent they face. Yes, they will need some luck and breaks here and there and injuries will play a role. Sometimes things have to fall right. But it takes the whole team to win. Does anyone really think the Padres have the best talent? They score fewer runs than most other teams but find ways to win. They have a bunch of no name pitchers getting the job done.

What is the problem? Of course, the pitching. But where is the offense? Fenway a tough place to play defensively as an outfielder? The Dodgers have three players on this team with extensive experience playing in Fenway and two of them are outfielders. It seemed to me the Red Sox had more trouble in the outfield than the Dodgers, so stick a fork in this argument as well. I said it the other day and I will say it again: it seems to me the Dodgers are clear underdogs in these national broadcasts and yet with a hit here and there, they could have won two of three. The Dodgers were in a funk coming out of Spring training and seemed to come out of it in May. June comes and back in the funk.

So what to do now. Nothing except continue to go out there everyday and give it the best the players can. Distractions? I suppose being asked about Manny or the energy vibe guy or the other mundane questions players are asked everyday can be a distraction but my guess is losing is a much worse distraction. The paper reported that even Andre snapped at a reporter’s question and when has that ever happened. Are these players really worried about ownership? Clearly, their future depends on what they do on the field regardless of ownership and you would hope they play for the name on the jersey and for the fans as well as for themselves. I would hope these players have better character than to let the problems with ownership affect what happens on the field.

lbirkin, another horrible answer may be a lot of these players are having mediocre years…or are just never going to reach that wondrous thing called “potential.” Martin has 16 RBIs in late June, and there are countless more stats, both pitching and hitting, equally feeble. But I hate stats, anyway. I still maintain the general funk has been brought on by the players’ none-to-keen observation that management and ownership did NOTHING to put this team over the hump. Middle of the road pitching, middle of the road bench, bottom of the barrel owner.

Hi to my ITD boys and girls!
What a tough weekend, for sure. But I did hear about something good ? personally! No, I?m still unemployed. Actually the great news isn?t about me. My sister, my mom plus a couple of nephews and some cousins were in Boston this weekend to catch a game; too bad they didn?t oblige by winning a game. But I hear that my mom and sister (and I think my nephews too) were out to dinner this weekend and ran into none other than our own Tommy Lasorda! My mom talked to Tommy and got her picture taken with him! That?s great! At least mom had that this weekend, if our Boys in Blue couldn?t eek out a win in Beantown?

***Note to Josh***
My mom and sister are still on the plane ride home, and I won?t be able to talk to her until tomorrow, but tell Tommy that I think it?s wonderful that he took the time to talk to my mom!

Yup it is about that time when we need our ITD TOUR!
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LET’S GO DODGERS!
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IBERKEN: You are right, “To win a championship the Dodgers will have to beat the best of whatever opponent they face.” and to me they are NOT playing to their full potential to beat the best. BOSTON & YANKEES are great teams. They couldn’t beat BOSTON and now let’s see what happens with the YANKEES. I’ve seen them play great and I know that they can win it all. But this “FUNK or DISTRACTIONS” need to stop. I do like “FUNK” better so I hope that they win some game this next series against the ANGELS to get De-FUNKed-T-fied so when the play the YANKEES, we can can kick their FUNKy As-s back to NY. LET’S GOOOOO DODGERS!

*** Note to Josh ***
I just talked to my mom and she said that my cousin (I think) had an extra ticket for Friday?s game and she went. She also said that when she met Tommy, the owner of the restaurant introduced her to Tommy and his friends. Were you one of those friends? Mom said she didn?t know who the other three were, but she was sure that they were connected to the Dodgers somehow. Don?t remember the name of the restaurant, but that was very cool of the owner to do that. I still don?t know what day they met Tommy, but it was at an Italian restaurant. Did you have dinner with Tommy at an Italian restaurant in Boston? Just thinking!

Oh, yeah. I too would love another ITD tour! If we have it, I?ll bring my mom with me!

Oh, so NOW they sell single seats, huh. I knew they would at some point. Like I said before, I don?t begrudge them charging more for these tickets, but why not make them available on an individual basis from the beginning? Oh, I know — the mighty, old $dollar$. Okay, iwannabelikebear1, is this STILL our very own enchanted? (I think, I think, I think???)

OH YEAH the “OWNER” is all about the $$. Single tickets where available to purchase by registered-club fans last week. Now it seems that you need certain code (NYTWEET) to buy single tickets. Why can’t they just completely open the sales of the single tickets. Hey they should allow ITD to purchase single tickets…ITDBLOG can be the code…LOL!

Hello ITD!
CArol,
that is wonderful that your mom go to talk to Tommy and have her picture taken with her and the rest of the family that was there!
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In the Q&A, I aksed Tommy where does he get all his energy. I recalled a Caravan day that felt on Ash Wednesday. I went to see the truck send off to Vero Beach about 9ish at the stadium. He was already there with his ashes on his forehead, he went to the Panda In luncheon, then to a school then I saw him at Universal City walk along with the players singing autographs. In the middle he got up and was dancing to the music. He said “When you love what you do, is not work so I have not worked a day in my life. I LOVE what I DO!”
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I am glad to be back in Cali. It was too humid in Boston.
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And yes, Sunday June 27, will be a year since the ITD tour. Monday June 28 is my birthday and I hope the Dodgers give me a nice birthday present by defeating the Giants.
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***And Dodgers!***
Your fans showed up in Boston but you guys failed to show up! We deserve better!
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Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

ummmm we have been saying that for two/three years now here on ITD. So, if Frank and Ned keep this pace, our young core will be gone before Frank and Ned aggressively try and keep them.

I know…..I know………maybe we don’t want to keep them, but I am sticking to the faith that whatever “funk” they are in, they will come out of it. Heck, the Diamondbacks crushed the Yankees last night so anything is possible and nothing is impossible.

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